2014/15 Season

[muttley94 74]

But i suppose if she wants pheasants and they are there then you cant exactly stop her!?

[pointer 543]

No I can't stop her and she will put in a massive effort to catch one. So I've avoided them and as I'm now flying mainly off the fist at bolted rabbits if a pheasant gets up Ive got hold of her. On the land I have where she's following on we don't run into many pheasants which is good because they drag her away. I'm happy with rabbits and the odd squirrel or rat.

 

She flew a lamped rabbit tonight but it kept jinking just in time to make her miss. She got up off the ground twice to try and catch it so I can't fault the effort. The only rabbit we saw in five fields.

[pointer 543]

The plan for the weekend was to go out locally this morning because the forecast was for snow in the dales, then tomorrow we were going to go to the dales. However the forecasters got it wrong and the weather wasn't bad today but is due to get worse tomorrow. We arrived at a farm this morning but guns could be heard going off in the field bordering our permission. We figured it was pigeon shooters so didn't hunt the area as I don't like my hawk being near shooters I don't know and we may have affected their sport which isn't right. So I went to another place and ferreted a few sets under thick bramble. Not an easy place to use ferrets and it dosent look like there's many rabbits there but three were bolted one of which my hawk caught. I could have tried to continue but light sleet had started to fall so the hawk was fed and we will see what tomorrow brings.

[bullet 125]

great write up pointer, keep it up

[pointer 543]

I took her out for half an hour between the rain and snow but she spotted pheasants and kept flying over to where I cant hunt her. She was reluctant to return but that's normal for her when she knows there's quarry still in the cover below. The snow started again so I went back home. We did have a good afternoon yesterday with the lurchers and my pointers so it hasn't been a completely wasted weekend. My pointer pup seemed to enjoy running around in the snow.

[pointer 543]

A fairly uneventful week with just two rats and two rabbits caught. She was heavy yesterday and it showed with a poor performance, thankfully my mates hawk was bang on showing good sport and catching a few rabbits after long flights. Today was windy but I tried to get something done but after ten minutes I gave up and went home. It's been a rubbish few weeks.

[pointer 543]

The weather has meant I've done very little hunting with the hawk. All she's had from my last post is one rabbit. Weather permitting I've been able to fly her for a short time after work but there's not many rabbits "round the doors".

[bullet 125]

to be fair pointer, im in the same boat, as regaurds not a lot about, everything is pretty much out of season now, rabbits got young, think its time to hang my glove up this weekend until next season

[pointer 543]

I haven't ran into any young rabbits or even pregnant does yet so I haven't thought about stopping but there's not long left now. The plan was to go up Scotland after Christmas after the mountain hares and maybe the Browns but the last five weeks has been terrible weather wise. I think I might try and bag another couple of squirrels and end the season.

[fourtrak73 1,334]

plenty up here pal just come up,ive been feeding the pheasants hard for the last week gonna keep feeding them for the next four weeks i think depending on the weather,hopefully big bags next season

[bullet 125]

when we caught rabbits last month and gutted them they were full of young, proper milky doe's

here's to a safe breeding/moulting season everyone, fingers cross to fly a home bred bird next season

[pointer 543]

plenty up here pal just come up,ive been feeding the pheasants hard for the last week gonna keep feeding them for the next four weeks i think depending on the weather,hopefully big bags next season

That's great mate, I'll give you a ring next week.

[pointer 543]

My hawk went terrible today for some reason, her weight was slightly up but not enough for me to expect such a dull performance. She only managed to grab one poor rabbit that was skinny and had been knocked about by the ferret before bolting. My mates hawk was on form and caught four rabbits after long downhill flights.

[bullet 125]

I had the same yesterday, had a busy day ahead of me so I thought I'd do some jump ups, having no receiver with me aswell as im waiting on a new one, first two jumps mint, third she must of thought stuff this im off, gone with the wind she was!

my mate came to me with his set and after an hour she was back on the glove

and when I got back home my brand new shiny marshall receiver had arrived!

trying to get the good wife let me fly for one more week,

[pointer 543]

I've taken my eye off the ball and let my hawk get too heavy, today she didn't jump onto the glove when I opened the pen door so I didn't take her out. I have done in the past and even caught stuff with her but it's a hassle dealing with an unresponsive bird.

 

It wasn't a completely wasted day as we went ratting and got my lasses young terrier its first rat. By the end he was watching and waiting for rats bolting.